"ZACK"
Chapter 1 – Beginning of a champion
A young Zack Johnson lies in his bed on a hot Summer Wednesday morning. It is just past 11 o' clock and he is thinking about his life ahead of him.
He is about to start his journey as a pokemon trainer, and in just 3 hours he will be the master to his very first pokemon. This is the major event of the year for all 11 year olds. This is their first step to glory as they step into the ever-expanding world of pokemon. As they encounter each new addition to the pokemon world, they can record it on their pokedex.
"Hmmm… hmmm… hmmm…" hummed Zack tunelessly as he nervously awaited two o' clock that afternoon. Zack lived with his Mum. He is an only child and his Dad was always away on business in Rustboro City. His Mum, whose name is Marissa does not enjoy her husbands company, whose name is Wayne.
"Zack, lunch is out! You are going to need a lot of energy if you want to get your new pokemon. It is hotdogs. Yeah, hotdogs. I've made you hotdogs. Your favorite –"At this, Zack zoomed down the stairs, through the lounge room at into the kitchen, while his mother continued jabbering. "You like hotdogs don't you? Yeah I thought you did. Well good, they now are ready, come and get -"
"Mum, you're ranting again," said Zack quietly.
"Am I? Sorry, honey." Replied Marissa distractedly.
"You know I don't need any persuading for hotdogs," said Zack hungrily, because he had been looking at them through the corner of his eye.
"Well, eat up; you have a big day ahead of you. You don't want to run out of puff do you – I know, I'm rambling on again." She gave a big sigh and went to the table with the hotdogs.
Zack thought about something suddenly, and it made him feel quite scared.
"Mum," said Zack thoughtfully. "What if there is no pokemon left in Professor Birch's lab?" enquired Zack.
"I'm sure there will be plenty there, Zack. Professor Birch has to make sure that there is lots of pokemon for all of the eleven year olds, like you." She sat down next to Zack and picked up a hotdog; Zack had already started a bacon one. "There are usually 3 different types of pokemon to choose from. I think there is… Mudkip… ummm…" she trailed off distractedly, looking at Zack.
"Treecko and Turkish –"
"Don't talk with your mouth full. And I think it is Torchic."
"Yeah, that's the one," said Zack, who had finally swallowed his enormous bite.
When they had finished lunch, they went outside to go to the shops, as they have run out of bug repellant. Zack lived in Littleroot Town, and they had to go to the town ahead, which was called Oldale Town.
"Those damn Caterpie and Volbeat have run right through our veggies," said Marissa, a slight trace of annoyance in her voice. Zack had never heard his mother yell. She was the type of person that was patient, but talkative.
Zack and Marissa had moved from Rustboro City to Littleroot Town, just three days ago to get away from the bustle. Oldale Town is just outside of Petalburg City, and it only has one shop – a mart. Compared to others in the three islands, Kanto, Johto and Hoenn, it is one of the smallest marts, but it still contains the essentials of pokemon training.
They entered and Zack looked around. It was still the same, grey shelves cluttered with a random assortment of merchandise, like pokeball's, great ball's, ultra balls, net balls and so on, antidotes, fluffy tails, (colours from red to green and purple) dolls, poisons, ("Ahh, there they are!" said Marissa excitedly.) Awakenings, TM's, Expensive low-time use HM's and the list goes on.
While Zack's Mum scampered around the isles getting products, a girl who looked around Zack's age caught his eye. She looked about eleven and had brown hair, and blue eyes. She wore red clothes; a pair of red board shorts and a red t-shirt. She was holding a peculiar looking pokeball that was brownish maroon in colour. It was slightly larger then the other's. As Zack walked closer, he heard her muttering softly. He couldn't understand what she was saying. He was walking along the isle when he could finally hear what she was saying. Her forehead was slightly creased.
"…Bloody Devon Corporation… always brings out these weird ass things… Ground ball? What next… I don't think…" she trailed off more quietly, and Zack couldn't understand her again. He forced the stupid grin off his face and realized how dumb he would look if she saw him like that. She turned around and started off at a run, ran straight into Zack, and bowled him over with such force he hit a shelf and knocked some ground balls and net balls onto the floor.
"Argh! Shit… Oh! Sorry! I didn't see you there! Sorry dude! Oh, man…" she helped him up and Zack began to pick the stuff off the ground.
"Don't worry 'bout it," said Zack, picking the last ball up off the ground.
"Ah, damn, you're bleeding!" exclaimed the girl forgivingly.
"Huh? Oh, it's not much… don't worry about it…" repeated Zack. His lip had burst open and was gently dripping blood into his hands.
"Look, I'll get you some cream for that," said the strange girl. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a weird looking tube of something. "Here, put some of this on it. It helps.
"Geez, you're well prepared," said Zack enthusiastically.
"Yeah, it's my dad, he makes sure I'm 'prepared for the worst,'" she said in a voice that she would use if someone was annoying her deeply.
"Well I'm pretty sure that a complete stranger cutting their lip isn't the worst," said Zack. "What's your name?" he asked politely.
"Rachael. What's yours?" replied the girl.
"Oh, I'm Zack. Who is you Dad?" asked Zack as he applied some of the cream to his lip.
"What? Oh, John Birch," replied Rachael quite calmly.
"John Birch?" exclaimed Zack quietly.
"Yeah, why?" replied Rachael.
"He's like, famous! Ain't he? He's gonna be handing out the pokemon later!" said Zack excitedly.
"Ohh! Wow! Are you getting your pokemon, too?" said Racheal happily.
"Yeah, I'll see you there," said Zack, who had just noticed his Mum at the checkout.
"Ah, bugger! I'm supposed to be at the lab helping Dad get ready. See ya later, Zack!" And with that, she departed the shop's just as quickly as Zack had met her.
"Come on, Zack!" said his Mum, a grin on her face. They walked outside into the sun and around the corner of the shops, the way home. "Look what I got-" She brandished a packet of doughnuts. "And I have these, as well. I figured you would want to take some munchies to Professor Birch's in half an hour – ooh – we'd better hurry up or you won't get there."
"I just met Mr. Birch's daughter…" said Zack, and he explained how he had met Rachael to Marissa, who had just noticed the cut on his lip.
"Hurry up, look at the line!" said Marissa hurriedly.
This was it. It was time. He hopped out of the car and ran towards the end of the line. There were signs up all around the place, saying the times of the 'Selection.'
"Hmmm… the 'selection'… sounds a bit scary doesn't it?" said Zack thoughtfully.
"Yeah… last year it was the 'process.'"
They both waited in line for about 25 minutes (in which the crowd had considerably thinned) and they reached inside the building. It was surprisingly small and there were different coloured doors leading off from the room that they were in.
"Look, we are the 6th next person!" exclaimed Zack excitedly. He looked up the isle and saw the one, the only, Professor Birch. Beside her he saw, to his surprise, (but then he remembered she would be helping with Professor Birch) Rachael. She had different clothes on, and looked much different. She saw Zack and waved enthusiastically. She mouthed "Hi" but did not say it, because John Birch was speaking to a girl about Zack's age. Zack waved back.
"Well, good day to you, Sarah. Good luck on your journey. See you!" said John happily, as a large grin spread across his abnormally large and wrinkled face.
"Thank you very much! Bye!" said Sarah happily. She turned around and Zack and Marissa saw her. She was short and had brilliantly shining blonde hair. Her eyes met Zack's, she grinned at him, and departed, a small red and white ball clasped in her had. When the following four people left, all with small pokeball's in their hands, there was one person separating him and Professor Birch. He was tall, and had light brown hair and an odd smug expression on his face. In Zack's opinion, he looked very stuck up.
"Hello lad, what is your name? How-" but John was cut off by the tall boy, who said:
"Yeah, whatever. Give me Treecko," said the boy quickly, almost bossily. John looked quite shocked at the boy's rudeness.
"Certainly, but what is-" Once again, he was cut off.
"Bye," he said very quickly and loudly as he snatched a green ball off the table. There was something about the person that Zack hated greatly, yet it was strange. He had never met this boy before. He zipped around and smashed straight into Zack and their heads collided painfully.
"OW! GODAMN IT! GEEZ!" screamed the boy. This was the second time in one day that a person he had not known ran into him. Zack was on the floor again, his lip bleeding again, this time more. He got up off the floor to confront the person.
"What the HELL is yo' problem? Why were you there?" yelled the boy.
"It wasn't my fault you ran into me, I was just in the line!" retaliated Zack, very annoyed at this person's arrogance. "You need to control yourself, man," said Zack calmly.
"Pvvv, you suck man, and don't you go calling me man! I'm outta here. I gotta cash in my cheque for my money." He gave a Zack and Marissa a filthy look and said quietly to Zack, "I'll see ya round…" and with that, he strode out of the lab leaving behind him a silent line of spectators, a stolen pokemon and Zack's punctured spirit.
"Lachlan, you SUCK!" yelled Rachael after him.
"Young man, are you okay? Let me see your lip…" John examined Zack's lip. "Ooh, that's not good. Rachael, where is your cream, lend him some, will you?"
She reached inside her pocket and pulled out the same spindly little tube. Zack took it from Rachael, who was a little embarrassed.
"Who was that kid?" enquired Marissa angrily. This was one of the very few times Zack had heard his mother use an angry tone.
"Lachlan Syvingohr. He's a real tool, and no one really likes him. His parents work for The Devon corporation and they earn loads of money." Rachael said in an icy tone. She put extreme emphasis on the words "real tool."
"Well, lets put that behind us, shall we? Now Zack, which pokemon would you like to own and name as your own?" said John.
"Ohh… Uhh…" Zack stammered quietly. He had completely forgotten where he was or what he was about to do.
"There are five left to choose from; Treecko, Wingull Torchic, Mudkip or Zigzagoon. What would you like?" said John in a friendly tone, much unlike Lachlan's.
"Well… I've researched a bit and… well… Mudkip sounds the best," Zack finished finally.
Marissa gave a little shriek of glee.
"Mudkip! Oh they are so cute!" said Marissa in an unusually high voice.
"Yeah, dude. Good choice!" said Rachael happily.
"Yes, good choice, Zack," said John very professionally.
"Dad, this is the guy I ran into in the Mart today," said Rachael, almost as if she had forgotten to say this.
"Ah! Yes! I remember now. What a coincidence."
"Well, we best be off. It's getting late. Ooh! Sorry to keep you waiting, ma'am!"
It was true, although that the line was inside the building, and after thinning more, it had grew.
"See ya, guys," said Zack.
"Oh, before you go Zack, Marissa, would you like to come over to our home place this evening? We could have dinner together! What do you say? Chinese? Do you like Chinese?" John said enthusiastically.
"We LOVE Chinese food. How about six o' clock?" said Marissa before Zack could say anything.
"Wonderful! Our house is just next to the lab! The one on the left." said John.
"I'm looking forward to it," Marissa said excitedly.
They all said their goodbyes, and Marissa and Zack turned and walked out into the sun. What had just happened was not the beginning of Zack, but the beginning of a champion.